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Kamimoto String Instruments
Your destination for quality string instruments and expert service.
3.8
Retail Store
$$
Your destination for quality string instruments and expert service.
Kamimoto String Instruments is a family-owned store located in San Jose, CA, specializing in violins, violas, and cellos. With a diverse selection of new and used string instruments, cases, and musical peripherals, they cater to musicians of all skill levels. The knowledgeable and friendly staff are dedicated to providing exceptional service, from instrument rentals to repairs and tuning. Patrons appreciate the personalized assistance and expert advice, ensuring a positive experience in finding the perfect instrument or receiving necessary repairs.
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Wide selection of new and used violins, violas, cellos, and bows for all skill levels.
Flexible rental programs with quality instruments, ideal for students and beginners.
Professional repairs, string replacements, tuning, and touch-ups to keep instruments in top condition.
Comprehensive range of cases, strings, rosin, and other musical peripherals.
Personalized advice from knowledgeable staff on instrument selection, care, and setup.
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Overall rating
Sherry Liang
Very terrible experience!! I would like to put zero if google allows. I purchased a $1,000 bow from this store, and it broke in less than six months. Instead of honoring the warranty or offering proper repair, they told us to fix it ourselves and even claimed it was my child’s fault. Completely unacceptable. We take great care of our equipment, and this bow was used under normal conditions. For the price, I expected both quality and professional service, but got neither. Very disappointing experience—will not recommend.
Zhigang Ma
I have been renting a violin for my daughter from Kamimoto String Instruments for over four years and was generally satisfied with the quality of the instrument and the convenience of setting up auto-pay through my credit card. However, I recently received a notice from a debt collection agency stating I owed over $1,000 to Kamimoto. After investigating, I realized that I had closed the credit card associated with the auto-pay due to suspicious charges last year and, unfortunately, forgot to update my payment information with the store. I accept full responsibility for that oversight. When I called Kamimoto, they informed me that they had made multiple attempts to contact me by phone. Unfortunately, I block all unrecognized numbers due to a high volume of telemarketing calls, despite being registered on the "Do Not Call" list. I was surprised and disappointed that no notices were ever sent via mail, which would have alerted me to the missed payments and allowed me to resolve the issue directly with the store before it escalated. The violin’s value was about $495, and now with collection fees and penalties, I have to pay more than $1,000 and will end up owning the instrument. While I acknowledge my role in this situation, I believe that a simple mailed notice could have prevented this frustrating outcome. I share this experience in hopes that Kamimoto String Instruments considers incorporating mailed reminders into their payment follow-up process for customers who may miss digital or phone communications.
Veni Ayer
Omg. I don’t know how my review was ever 1 star. I don’t even remember doing it. They are actually awesome. Always very patient whether it is during a purchase of instrument / other things / service etc. The people who work here are helpful and patient as well as knowledgeable.
Wei-Ai Tai
Small family-owned and operated store for violins, violas, and cellos. It has a wide selection of new and used string instruments, along with a variety of cases and other musical peripherals. Very friendly and helpful staff, and they also offer services to fix or touch up your instruments. Street parking can be hard to find, though.
Andrea Miller
I was trying to tune my first violin, and in the process, snapped more than one. Took it here after searching for any options, was impressed with their speed, knowledge and prices. She tuned it for me (quickly and skillfully) after replacing the strings, very helpful. Not to mention she was patient with my many questions... Will definitely go here again!
